280 THE HIGH TIDE OF NOVEMBER 29, 1897.
At Tollesbury. Salcot, and Virley, a vast quantity of land was flooded,
the breaches in the sea-walls being exceedingly numerous.
Maldon District.—Owing to the strong winds the tide came up shortly
after three o'clock on the Monday, its due time being 4.15, and the swell was
so heavy that go feet of the sea-wall at Messrs. Sadd's timber wharf was
washed out. The breach was cut into the depth of about 16 feet, and the
width of the wall at its deepest part would be about 30 feet. Large boulders,
which formed part of its composition, some of them weighing upwards of two
tons, were dashed and rolled about like pebbles. It is stated that the water
rose to about six feet above the ordinary high-water mark. All the low-lying
parts of Heybridge and Maldon and the Heybridge Basin were flooded.
Similar relations might be made of all the land on the south side of the Black-
water, at Bradwell, St. Lawrence, and Steeple.
Dengie and Rochford Hundreds.—The heavy gales of Sunday (Nov. 28th)
culminated on the Monday in the highest tide which has ever been known at
Burnham-on-Crouch. In the morning the tide did not ebb until much more
than half its proper time, and by eleven o'clock, at which time it should have
turned to come up, it had flowed some feet. 3.39 was the time at which the
tide should have been full in the afternoon, but at two o'clock'it was level
with the top of the Quay. By half-past two it was pouring down the opening
against the Clay Shipping Company's Wharf into the High Street like a
sluice. Soon afterwards it reached the High Street by other means, and by
three o'clock the broad thoroughfare was flooded to a depth of from eighteen
inches downwards. Soon after three o'clock, by a remarkable freak, the tide
commenced to ebb. and fell away some six inches. But again it flowed, and
the aspect of affairs was more serious than ever. Eventually the tide again
ebbed at its usual time, and continued to do so for the rest of the evening.
While the flood was at its height boats were brought into the street, and
remarkable scenes were witnessed. The children of the National Schools
were kept prisoners, but eventually they were carried across the flood in
boats. These and the occasional upsetting of a boat and the ducking of
people were among the most amusing scenes, but there is a far more serious
aspect in the amount of damage done. All the houses facing the river and
many in the High Street were flooded, causing damage to carpets and furni-
ture, and below the town the tide flowed over the top of the sea-wall like a
waterfall, many acres of land being flooded. This gradual working of the
water in the end weakened the wall, and just above, the sewage tanks made a
breach, through which the tide continued to flow for a long time.
At Wallasea many breaches were caused in the walls, and more
than three parts of the island, which contains about 3,000 acres, was under
water. Many exciting scenes and very narrow escapes from drowning are
recorded. The Southend road was submerged to a depth of four feet.
The same story applies to Fowlness. Here on the sea-side, a greater
part of the sea-wall on Rugwood's Farm to Fisherman's Head, the terminus
of the road over the sands to Wakering, was washed away and the eastern
portion of the island was flooded. The smaller islands, Potton, New
England, Havengore and Rushley, suffered still more seriously, the breaches
in the sea-walls being in some cases so deep that the water could flow in and
out at an ordinary tide. This was especially the case at New England,
where on the Shelford Creek side an enormous breach was made. Between